I have been trying to find a UK source for either the WestCo or the Yuasa and so far I have only forund them on EBay at £56 and £58 respectively (including shipping).
Does anyone know of a cheaper UK/Euro retailler?
There seems to be some confilct in this thread as to wether the batteries have the same output or if the Yuasa is more powerful. Really, which is the best, is there a measurable difference?
Went to Sears to buy the Diehard (Yusa) one today. Found it on the shelf for $77.99. You had to add the electrolyte and charge that one yourself too. I figured if I had to do that anyway then I may as well save $10 and get it mail order. Found it for $68.75 at http://www.motorcyclebatteriesusa.com/battery-mfg-details.asp?battery=169 with free shipping.
The following address has the battery for less than $40.00 to include shipping. You have to call the listed number to get that price but a few minutes on the phone will be worth it. I had to explain to the sales girl where to find the sale price at on her computer but once she was talke dtrough that the sale went smoothly.
Wow! That motorhelmet.com is an awesome deal. A bit late for me, but you can save yourselves!
Now that I got the sucker.... the directions say to charge it at 1.2 amps an hour for 5 to 10 hours.... I've only got a 2/10 amp charger or my 500ma trickle charger. Which one should I charge it with?
Here is something you might not want to know--
I put a new Westco battery in my bike after I replaced my stator (at 12,000 miles!!!). I ran it three months and about 5,000 miles. Away on a trip and my bike quit on me. Charging system is fine, but the battery crashed. It's still showing good voltage, but it doesn't run the bike. It cannot even close a relay contact--(clicks shut and open).
Anybody have that experience?
Any ideas why?
Angky.
Now that I got the sucker.... the directions say to charge it at 1.2 amps an hour for 5 to 10 hours.... I've only got a 2/10 amp charger or my 500ma trickle charger. Which one should I charge it with?
Using the 2 amp wont be a problem. Charging at lower amps, for a longer period is best for a complete charge, but the .8 amp difference isn't anything to worry about.
And the 5 to 10 hours might be more like 3 to 8 hours. I'd say go for it. :smiley_th
Here is something you might not want to know--
I put a new Westco battery in my bike after I replaced my stator (at 12,000 miles!!!). I ran it three months and about 5,000 miles. Away on a trip and my bike quit on me. Charging system is fine, but the battery crashed. It's still showing good voltage, but it doesn't run the bike. It cannot even close a relay contact--(clicks shut and open).
Anybody have that experience?
Any ideas why?
Angky.
I have replaced the battery with a MF gel battery and I agree that the bike ran unbelievably better. If you really want to make it purr, replace the plugs with iridiums. For me, the combination of the two made it start every time, hot or cold. Remember, though, use anti seeze if you change the plugs!
Sorry for my ignorance, but what's the anti-seize? And why would I use it on the plugs? (Just want to make sure I don't do something stupid while I'm messing around in there.)
I am no mechanic, but I am pretty sure it keeps the plug from becoming one (in a very bad way) with the engine. In other words seizing into the part you tighten it into..
Anti seize it a paste you put on threads that you dont want to stick. DO NOT GET ANY ON THE END OF THE PLUG. Will cause the plug to foul fast, Anti seize is good to use on any bolt you might think might rust. Works good
I didn't mean to jump topics- I thought I was replying to a much earlier post about how well the bikes run after new MF batteries were installed. Sorry.
Anyway, you are correct that anti seeze is put on the THREADS of iridium plugs. Because thay need to be changed out, well... never, since they are good for like 60,000 miles or some ridiculous number. Because of this, there is the fear that not removing them will cause the threads to seize to the heads. A very bad thing.
Load test!
Yeah, That's where I screwed up--as I found out later.
I should have hooked it up to a headlight and watched how long it lasted. (I don't have an ammeter big enough to test it that way.)
Here's the basics of the anti-seize.
Aluminum and steel have an interesting attraction for one another. The steel will cut right into aluminum and "dog up" or "ball up". It seizes tight. Our engines are aluminum. The base of the plugs are steel.
Ordinarily enough carbon & crud gets into the bottom part of the threads to keep them from sticking tightly to each other. But iridium plugs last forever. If you ever want to take them out, they will have been in there so long that they can't come out without stripping out half the threads from the aluminum head.
But all this should be in a different section of the forum.
Sorry about that.
Angky.
I have replaced the battery with a MF gel battery and I agree that the bike ran unbelievably better. If you really want to make it purr, replace the plugs with iridiums. For me, the combination of the two made it start every time, hot or cold. Remember, though, use anti seeze if you change the plugs!
MF gel battery?
I'm interested, but I don't know anything about it.
Can you give some info? What is it, why is it, how does it work, how is it better, etc.?
Thanks,
Angky.
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